Real Faith

Real Faith


Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1

Faith is a word that is commonly misunderstood. The word faith, many times is used to describe one’s religion when faith shouldn’t be about religion but about relationship.

It is erroneously at times used interchangeably with the term hope, but hope is just an optimistic look instead of an observant expectation. While hope is important, it is NOT faith. It is, however, the beginning of faith. It is a wanting or a longing for a desired outcome without realizing that it happened when God said it. According to the apostle Paul, he says “Now faith is…” The error of scriptural interpretation here is that faith was not before now. When in truth, faith has always been. Faith has always been substance! Here, Paul uses the Greek term pistis, which denotes a strong conviction of the truth. So the text teaches us that there is connection that faith has with truth. So what is truth? Jesus says in John 14:6, “I am the way the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the father but by me.” So if faith is a strong conviction of the truth and Jesus is the truth, then faith is a strong conviction of Jesus.

To fully understand that potency of this statement you have to understand what faith is not. Faith is not fact. If faith is not fact, then truth is not fact. There is a difference in fact and truth. The greatest difference that defines them is their points of origin. Fact originates in the natural. Truth originates in the spirit.
Faith reaches out into the spiritual dimension and gives form and substance to heavenly and spiritual realities in such a way that man can appreciate them. So what faith does is brings the unseen in to the realm of experience. So faith then, is not a concept but an experience. It is something that you live.

Faith Confession: Father I thank you that my faith is fixed. I am not relegated to simple hope but I have the capacity to speak the unseen and make them realities in my life. I no longer speak what-ifs and maybes but I declare it is now because of my faith.

Assignment for the week: Write down the things you have in your life that don’t look the way or behave the way you want them to. Speak them aloud daily the way the should be and cause your reality to change.

Happy Start Again

Happy Start Again

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

I Corinthians 13:11

Why Happy Start Again? Well, because making the changes to improve our lives should not be relegated to January. Anytime you notice your life off tract, it’s time to start again! God allows a redo. What most people commonly do is wait until January and devise a set of resolutions. Maybe you have had a time of reflection and feel you have some changes that you need to make. I want to encourage you to make those changes. Adjust the things in your life that are out of focus. Don’t repeat the mistakes of the past.

My grandfather used to tell me growing up, that the true definition of insanity is doing the same things, the same way and expecting different results. Simply put, if you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.

I encourage you to want more for yourself and your family than what you had before. I want to offer you some things to consider:

• Are the people you surround yourself with working toward the same goals as you are?
• Do you know where you are headed in life?
• Are your surroundings conducive to where you are headed in life?
• Do you know who you are?
• Are you praying enough?
• Are your studying enough?

Answers to these questions are a great way to either change your direction or enhance the path that you are already on.

Faith Confession: Father thank you for a new start! For me, this year will be greater than the last. I will accomplish more. I will connect with you more. I am the head and not the tail. I am a lender and not a borrower. This year will be the best year of my life.

Assignment for the week: Write down the above questions plus any other question that these bring to mind. Truthfully answer them. Make a plan on how to improve your life in those areas where your answers were not affirmative.